Padlocks are the most varied lock category on the market — and the most abused. A $6 Master Lock and a $180 Abloy are both called "padlocks" and sold in the same aisle. The mechanism type matters enormously: disc detainers, dimple locks, and shrouded shackle designs aren't just marketing — they represent fundamentally different levels of resistance to picking, shimming, and bolt cutters. Know what you're buying before you buy it.
Rotating disc wafers instead of pins. No standard picking tools work — requires specialist equipment. The highest-tier consumer mechanism available.
e.g. Abloy Protec2Pins arranged around a flat key blade rather than in a row. Adds a second dimension of resistance. Common in higher-end European locks.
e.g. Mul-T-Lock MT5+The most common mechanism. Security varies wildly by quality — a budget pin tumbler opens in seconds, a well-made one takes real effort. Brand and construction matter here more than type.
e.g. ABUS 55/40, SchlageNot a mechanism — a body design. The shackle is partially enclosed in the body, making bolt cutter and angle grinder attacks much harder. Often combined with hardened steel.
e.g. ABUS 83/55Flat lever plates lifted by the key instead of pins. Common in European padlocks and high-quality chest locks. Quality varies significantly — a well-made lever lock is genuinely hard to pick without specialist tools.
e.g. Squire SS50, Abloy ClassicFlat wafers instead of spring-loaded pins. Often confused with disc detainer locks — they're completely different. Found in filing cabinets, low-end padlocks, and luggage locks. Rakes open trivially.
e.g. most filing cabinet locksThe oldest lock mechanism still in production. Simple obstructions (wards) inside the lock body block incorrect keys. Any skeleton key bypasses the whole system. Found in antique padlocks and cheap decorative locks — avoid for anything that matters.
e.g. cheap cabinet padlocks, vintage locksNo successful pick on record. The rotating disc mechanism defeats every conventional attack. Overkill for most — exactly right if you need it. Our highest-ever rated lock.
Telescoping pins with an interactive element — a second dimension of resistance most picks can't account for. Available in padlock and cylinder formats. Extremely popular in the locksport community for good reason.
Hardened steel body, shrouded shackle, and a solid pin tumbler core. The best combination of physical attack resistance and reasonable price. Built like a brick. Bolt cutters bounce off it.
The lock we recommend when someone wants real security without the sticker shock. Solid brass body, quality pin stack, picks significantly harder than its price suggests. What Master Lock should be.
The budget pick we can actually recommend. Laminated steel body, 5-pin cylinder, and a brass core that resists basic picking. For gym lockers, sheds, and low-stakes use — it's honest about what it is.
Disc shape makes it nearly impossible for bolt cutters to get leverage. Sealed keyway shrugs off rain and salt. The Abus-Plus cylinder inside is actually hard to pick. Outdoor standard at a fair price.
We put 12 of the most popular sub-$30 padlocks to the test — shims, bolt cutters, picking, and brute force. The results were deeply unsettling.
Same price. Completely different security. One opens to a butter knife in under 10 seconds. The other takes real effort and proper tools.
After six months of testing and one very frustrated locksmith, we're ready to call it: the closest thing to an unpickable consumer padlock available today.
We cut through 200 padlocks so you don't have to. What shackle diameter, body material, and lock grade actually tell you — and what to ignore entirely.
Most of these are padlocks. Most are still on store shelves. Most people have one of them on their shed, storage unit, or gate right now.
Most padlocks on the market open to a standard pick set in under 30 seconds. Understanding how changes everything about how you buy one.
It costs $15 and it's made by ABUS since 1924. In locksport, it's the benchmark for "budget done right." We picked it, tested it, and tell you the honest truth.
Hardened steel, interchangeable cylinder, Nano Protect, CEN 3 certified. It's not just a padlock — it's the last padlock body you'll ever buy.
Hand-welded stainless steel, ABUS Plus disc cylinder, 250,000 key combinations. Every cheap disc lock at the storage facility is copying this shape. None come close.
Four pins, loose tolerances, and a comb attack that opens it without any skill. The best-selling brass padlock in America — and here's exactly why that's a problem.
Telescopic pins, a sidebar, and the Alpha Spring. The MT5+ packs three completely independent locking mechanisms into one cylinder. Elite pickers approach it with genuine respect.